Edwin l



E. L. HALL. Locomotive Head-Light.

\ No. 67,192. Patented July 30, 1867.

N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHNGTOM n c.

Fri

' ignites gist-2s gamut @ffirr.

EDWIN L. HALL, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 67,192, dated July so, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCOMOTIVES HEAD-LIGHT.

' fiiigt fitigthrle tumor in in ilgm fishers 21m mm matting part at ilgesame TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. HALL, of Utica, Oneida county, New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locomotive Head-Lights.

In locomotive head-lights there is a constant tendency to overheating inconsequence of the necessity of keeping the case-cl0se to preventirregular currents of air from entering therein, which might affect thelight; and such overheating, especially where kerosene or the like oilis used, causes the vapor arising therefrom to ignite, and injure ordestroy the lamp. i

The nature of my invention consists in reducing the temperature of theinside of the case by passing currents of cold air through tubes made topass through the case, and which tubes are so arranged with openings andvalves as to allow the heated air in the case to pass out,.and yetpermit none of the outer air to enter into the case through suchopenings or valves. And I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making apart ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of the1amp-case, with a tube therein.

Figure 2 is a plan of the case, showing the tubes; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the tube, showing thevalve therein.

A is the case; B is the air-tube; B is thei'ront part thereof; B is therear part O is the joint of the two parts; D is the funnel-mouth of thetube, and E is the valve. The case A may be constructed in any of thewell-known forms, or in any other suitable form. Extending from thefront to the rear of the case, and opening at both ends iutothe outerair, is one or more air-tubes B, as seen in figs. 1 and 2. Each tube isformed of two parts, B and B, whieh are' united by extending the smallerend of the part B 'into the contiguous end of B suflicient to preventthe air passing through from entering through the joint into the case,say from two to four inches. The inserted end of B is made sufficientlysmaller than B to allow free passage for the hot air in the case to passinto 13*, say one-eighth of an inch all around. The front end of B, D,is enlarged, funnel-form, to catch and force in the air, as seen infigs. 1 and 2. In B is a valve, E, suificiently large to' close it, andwhich is placed against the end of B, so that, when closed, it willclose the end ofB as well as the tube B Instead of having a. space allaround the inserted end of B and B, the inner tube may rest on, or beattached to, the under side of the outer tube B as seen in fig. 3. Ifthe air-tube is cylindrical, the upper half of the valve is madepermanent, andthe lower half is hinged to it at the centre, as seen infig. 3.

The operation is as follows: The head-light being in place on theengine, with the funnel-end D of the tube forward, when the engine isstarted, the cold air rushes into the air-tube B through the funnel endD, and, forcing open the valve E, passes out at the rear end of the tubeB. This constant'current of cold air passing through the interior of thecase tends-Io reduce its temperature. At the same time this current ofair, in passing rapidly over the joint 0, creates a partial vacuum inthe space between B and B, and the'heated air of the case rising to fillit, is carried out of the case with the cold air. The course of the coldair is indicated by the black arrows, and that of the heated air by thered arrows, as seen in figs. 1, 2, and 3. The combined action of thecurrents of cold air passing through the case and the heated air beingdrawn from the case keeps the air in the case at a. low temperature, andthe danger of ignition from the vapor or dripping oil isgreatly diminished,-'if not entirely obviated. Should the engine be reversed, orthere be a counter-current of air, the valve E closes, and prevents theouter air from entering the case through the joint C. The form of thetubes is not material, but the larger and greater the cooling surfacethey present, and the greater their capacity for carrying ofl' heatedair without at the same time creating too great a current in the air inthe case, the more perfectly they will keep the air in the case cool.Instead of passing the air through straight tubes, as described, therear part may be bent upward, and the air passed out at the top of thecase. And instead of making the tube in two parts, it'may be in onepart, having an opening in the under side at about the position of thejoint C, which opening should have a cover extending fromthe front partthereof to some distance beyond the rear end, say from two to fourinches, with a valve at the rear end, sons to close the passage made bysuch opening and cover into the case, to prevent the air from enteringinto the case when the engine is reversed or there is n counter-currentof air. But the first-described form is considered preferable. Insteadof running the tube or tubes straight through the case, they may beturned upwards, and made to pass out of the roof or top, or they may beturned into the ventilator, in which case no valve will be necessary.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The tube B, constructed and operating substantially as described and forthe uses and purposes mentioned.

' EDWIN L. HALL.

Witnesses:

HENRY GREEN, JOHN G. Unocxsn.

